OH - Larry Mugrage, 15, fatally shot, Batavia, 19 March 2006

[docwho3]

In an old movie there was once a story line spoken to the effect the he who harms others really does worse damage to his own soul. In that sense I can see where the killing of the boy was also a sort of killing of the man as well. And truly it does seem that with the one act perhaps 2 were harmed.

That does not excuse what the man did in any way. It is just an observation.

 

[dark_shadows]

This is just awful, I'm so sorry this happened. I can't believe the person wasn't charged for doing this, it just isn't right to knowingly contribute to the harm of another person. I hope your friend has at least looked into the Vermont stance on what constitutes an "attractive nuisance" and whether it's recoverable there from the owner. IMO, a known ATV path with open access could be considered such. It varies from state to state on how these things are viewed, but it's fairly universally recognized that every property owner needs to take due care that others aren't injured.

Hello LvsAMystry,
It is very nice to hear from you.I thank-you for the post.
Things have been looked into and it is on going.I will ask if the "attractive nuisance" aspect was looked into.Your help is very much appreciated.

 

[dark_shadows]

This is absolutely sick. I cannot believe that this guy was not prosecuted. Did the parents sue him in a civil suit? I thought that a homeowner was responsible for injuries on his/her property, whether the person was there legally or not. I would have tried to sue him and his homeowner's insurance.

This type of death is so senseless. It sounds like Matthew was a really good boy. I'm so sorry to hear about this tragedy.

Hello Nanandjim,
I would like to thank-you for your words,they do mean alot.
one item to read
the crowd of 125 gathered at the St. Albans Town Education Center (SATEC) Wednesday vaguely remembered her name but couldn't recall why.

When she spoke, nods of recognition filled the room.

Ives described how her son Matthew died on Aug. 11, 2002, while riding his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on a private Highgate road without permission. The teen never saw the unmarked cable hanging 3 feet off the ground. When he hit it, the wire cut his neck and his life short.

Matthew Ives had just bought the ATV with his own money. He was two-tenths of a mile from home, out on his first ride off his parents' land.

He was 15.

Since then, his mother has fought for a law to require that landowners post signs on their private roads and prohibits them from blocking the paths with cables.

"Trespassing is not punishable by death," Ives told the silent room, "and it should not be."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Matt's friends Justin and Kyle are the ones who went to Matt's house a short distance from where Matt lay dying.Dan and Anne (Matt's parents) had to see their son in that state.It was a gruesome site for them and it was described in detail in a news article.Dan was performing CPR when the ambulance arrived.

I cry and cry.My heart hurts.I wonder how Dan and Anne can function,let alone try to enact laws that just get shot down.Also knowing that Matt's killer is enjoying life.
Nanandjim,I thank-you again for your post.

 

[mysteriew]

Killing may have been planned. No sidewalks in the neighborhood. Some discussion on previous compaints Martin had made to police.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/NEWS01/603230339/1056

"As Mugrage was walking back home a few hours later, Martin saw him and brought the shotgun out," Gaviglia said. Mugrage was shot while standing in the middle of the street in front of Martin's house, with the first round grazing his chest area and the second round hitting him in the side and back, he said.
http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16365858&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

 

[Wrinkles]

There is an article at the following link. Also, the page tells how/where donations can be given to help toward the funeral expenses.

"Two funds have been set up to help with funeral expenses. Donations can be made in Larry's name at any PNC Bank or at Sharefax Credit Union."

Here is the link

 

[Ntegrity]

My first reaction was to believe Larry Mugrage and his parents had been harassing their neighbor and the anger caused him to explode. Now I'm not so sure. The more recent links make it sound like Mr. Martin was a mental case who obsessed over his lawn and couldn't get along with any of his neighbors. After reading that he sat on his porch shooting birds with a BB gun, I think that could've been a warning sign of what was to come. People who can't empathize with innocent animals often have no empathy for human beings. What a tragedy!

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Ah... I forgot to say that I would like parents held responsible for the death of their children in circumstances such as this, IF they did not work to help in the peace with the neighbor. I KNEW that I could do much to sincerely let others know that I was trying my best to raise my son in a way to respect them. Those who knew my struggle did NOT ignore it, they worked with me. They KNEW that I was approachable, they KNEW that I wasn't blowing them off because I had such "mommy love" that I consider that THEY were NOT important.

"Mommy's boy" is NOT more important than my neighbor who is the son of another mother.

Wrinkles

Wrinkles, I understand what you're trying to say, but we don't attack the families of victims here at Websleuths. The bottom line is that this man took the law into his own hands and a kid is dead. Whatever "blame" you think his parents need to own is misplaced. The blame is on the shooter.

 

[Maybe So]

Killing may have been planned. No sidewalks in the neighborhood. Some discussion on previous compaints Martin had made to police.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/NEWS01/603230339/1056

"As Mugrage was walking back home a few hours later, Martin saw him and brought the shotgun out," Gaviglia said. Mugrage was shot while standing in the middle of the street in front of Martin's house, with the first round grazing his chest area and the second round hitting him in the side and back, he said.
http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16365858&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

The fact that he appeared to have waited for the boy to come back and then shot him in the street (not on his grass) and also the fact he shot him twice makes it sound like more than just snapping in anger (or having dementia/alzheimers). He probably was the kind of person who had not much going on in his life so he brooded over this problem as if it were the only thing in life.

I wonder if he shot the birds for being on the lawn too? Personally I would have called the police on him for shooting the birds. Using a BB gun is usually illegal within most neighborhood settings (even in your own yard).

It's just so pointless what he did. It solved nothing. Took a young boy out of the world and will most likely result in him never having a lawn or home outside of prison ever again. He must have realized that he was pretty much ending his own life too....sad.

 

[nanandjim]

The fact that he appeared to have waited for the boy to come back and then shot him in the street (not on his grass) and also the fact he shot him twice makes it sound like more than just snapping in anger (or having dementia/alzheimers). He probably was the kind of person who had not much going on in his life so he brooded over this problem as if it were the only thing in life.

I wonder if he shot the birds for being on the lawn too? Personally I would have called the police on him for shooting the birds. Using a BB gun is usually illegal within most neighborhood settings (even in your own yard).

It's just so pointless what he did. It solved nothing. Took a young boy out of the world and will most likely result in him never having a lawn or home outside of prison ever again. He must have realized that he was pretty much ending his own life too....sad.

Oh, I just thought of what the guy should have done if his lawn meant enough to him to murder. He should have invested in one of those electric fences that throws shocks when you cross it. It is used to keep pets in, but it would seem like a deterrent, too.

 

[SewingDeb]

Oh, I just thought of what the guy should have done if his lawn meant enough to him to murder. He should have invested in one of those electric fences that throws shocks when you cross it. It is used to keep pets in, but it would seem like a deterrent, too.

I think that only works if you are wearing the special collar.

 

[dark_shadows]

You do not need a collar for an electric fence.This type of fence is used to keep horses and cows in pastures.

 

[SewingDeb]

Oh! Sorry, I'm thinking of the wireless fences. Yeah, an electric fence would have worked well and possibly saved him from spending the rest of his life with no lawn to care for.

 

[SafeReturn]

I'm curious as to why my last post was deleted...

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I'm curious as to why my last post was deleted...

Because of this:

Show some damn respect for a veteran soldier of this country instead of grouping him with every other whackjob out there. Everyone has a breaking point. Walk a mile in his shoes before you sling insults.

We're here to talk about the case, not one another. In the future, you'd be doing me a favor if you took this sort of thing up in a PM so we don't have to bring everyone into personal issues. Thanks.

 

[Wrinkles]

Hi Jeanna,

Thanks for your understanding and your correction. I guess we have given you a little work on this thread lately. Oh...and thanks for the time and effort you give to WS, you and the other moderators keep this place a pleasant place.

Wrinkles

 

[mysteriew]

Thanks Jeana. I can appreciate Martin's service to his country. But that doesn't give him a pass to murder people when he comes home. I can also appreciate that they guy worked hard on his lawn and wanted to remain proud of it. Again that doesn't give him a pass to kill a child. I can even appreciate that he felt harrassed in the neighborhood. I guess I might have felt more sympathy about that though if he had taken more steps to resolve the situation, instead of escalating it. He quit making police reports, he didn't put up a fence, and he didn't post no trespassing signs. May I also point out that the neighborhood did not have sidewalks? I don't know about the rest of you, but I taught my kids not to walk on the road, if there was a grassy area to walk on. And roads have an easement alongside them, that they county takes partial responsibility for (often maintaining ditches, mowing, etc). Most homeowners still consider them a part of their property and mow and maintain them. I wonder just what part of the yard this kid was walking on anyway?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Its a very emotional issue. I hope more facts come out as time goes by. We're dealing with pretty limited information, so I think we're doing the best we can with what we've got. I think there was enough bad behavior for everyone involved in whatever happened in that neighborhood for them to do some serious soul searching.

Ya'll are great, thanks.

 

[Yakwoman]

Its a very emotional issue. I hope more facts come out as time goes by. We're dealing with pretty limited information, so I think we're doing the best we can with what we've got. I think there was enough bad behavior for everyone involved in whatever happened in that neighborhood for them to do some serious soul searching.

You just said a mouthful. And thanks for everything you do here at WS. You really are appreciated.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

You just said a mouthful. And thanks for everything you do here at WS. You really are appreciated.

I appreciate that darlin!!!! Ya'll are appreciated too!!!!!

 

[Details]

Very limited information - I've heard nothing about the boy's character, actions, not to mention if he really did ever get friends to also walk on the guy's lawn (he assumes the kid did so - that's not proof at all that he really did), from anyone other than the old man - obviously very biased and not balanced. The poor parents seem too shocked and sad to defend their son. Or maybe the media just isn't interested in that.

With no sidewalks, it is typical that you walk on the lawn - the road is for the cars, the lawns are for the pedestrians.

Oh yes - I am a property owner (is it so hard to believe that people can have similar situations and different beliefs? ) - and people walk all the time on my grass - I'm right next to a park - they shortcut across my lawn to the park! Could be annoying maybe - doesn't actually harm the grass, doesn't bug me - but if it did, I'd put up a little fence. Now what I really hate is when the kids play baseball in the park, using my fence as a backstop, which means that whenever the ball goes a bit high, it hits the house. I've had to go and ask them several times to knock it off. Nothing to kill over, nor threaten, nor whatever. At the worst, I might not let them go into the back yard to retrieve their ball (but I usually do anyway). Give me 20 years of the same behavior, and I still can't understand killing over even that! No matter how many of my pretty darn expensive cool windows are damaged or broken (pretty much my prize posession of my house).